Fashion design is an exciting field that combines creativity and technical skills to create stylish clothing and accessories. It is an ever-evolving industry that has been around since the beginning of human history, and today it is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide.
Whether you are a budding designer with a passion for fashion, or simply curious about how to get started in the field, this comprehensive guide will explore what fashion design is, the creative and technical aspects of the craft, and the steps to take in order to break into a career in the exciting, ever-changing world of fashion.
What is fashion design?
Fashion design is the process of creating new clothing and accessories. This includes sketching designs, creating sample garments and sourcing materials and fabrics.
Designers are responsible for the overall look and feel of garments, from the shape and fit to the colour, prints, textures, and styles. It’s an all-encompassing creative field that is broken down into different specialities and areas of expertise.
There are a number of different specialities within fashion, such as apparel design, footwear design, accessories design, textile design, sustainable fashion design, and much more.
Depending on the area of fashion you choose to pursue, you will be responsible for designing and creating a variety of products, such as clothing, footwear, handbags, headwear, and much more.
The creative and technical aspects of fashion design
The creative aspect of designing for the fashion industry consists of sketching and creating the initial designs. This is where the designer’s creative juices begin to flow, and the designs begin to take shape. This is often done on paper or digitally, using various sketching tools such as pens and markers, or computer software.
Once the sketching is complete, the designer will then work on creating the final design. This could involve creating a mockup garment or other sample pieces, or it could be involving the use of a computer program so you can see how it will look before it is made.
The technical aspect of fashion design is the knowledge and skill set that designers need to know how to source materials, understand how garments are constructed and be able to interpret patterns in order to create designs.
Pattern making is the process of creating a paper or digital representation of the design, so it can be used to create an actual garment. This is often done by tracing the design onto a piece of paper and then using a ruler and pencil to create a grid-like pattern. It is then used to copy the design onto a piece of fabric, so it can be cut and sewn.
How to get started in fashion design
Before you can begin your career in fashion design, you will need to get your foot in the door. However, there are so many people applying for each position, so it can be difficult to break through.
In order to stand out and get started in fashion, you will need to make a great first impression that will get you noticed. The best way to do this is to create an eye-catching portfolio. A portfolio is the culmination of everything you have created so far during your fashion design journey.
It consists of pieces such as sketches, fabric swatches, designs, concepts and more. The purpose of a portfolio is to show potential employers your skills as a fashion designer and to demonstrate your creative abilities.
While it is important to keep learning and improving along the way, it’s also important that you make connections early on in your journey.
Networking is an excellent way to gain exposure and get your name out there. You can also consider attending a fashion design course at a creative college, as this can be a great way to gain exposure to the industry, learn the skills you need, meet like-minded individuals and begin building your portfolio.
Getting a job in the fashion industry
If you want to start working as a fashion designer, you will first need to find an employer in the fashion industry. The best place to start is by doing some research and determining which area of fashion design you are interested in.
You may have decided what part of the fashion design world you want to go into if you’ve studied a fashion design course. Otherwise, trying a lot of different things will help you settle on a path.
After you know what you want to do, you can then begin to search for potential employers in your area of interest. Employers are often looking for designers with a combination of skills, such as technical and creative skills, so be sure to showcase those skills and demonstrate why you are the right person for the job.
You can do this by creating a stunning portfolio and landing an internship, which will give you valuable work experience and exposure in the industry. If you don’t see an opportunity for yourself in terms of employment, you also have the option to start your own fashion business and become self-employed.
Starting your own business will allow you to follow your passion, create your own designs, and be your own boss, and its become much easier in recent years due to online platforms like Shopify and Instagram.
It’s a long road and it won’t be easy, but when starting your own business it’s a good idea to determine what type of fashion business you want to start, much like you would if you were simply working in the fashion industry.
Again, do some research and decide what type of fashion business best suits your interests and skill set. Work to your strengths! Once you’ve decided on a type of business, you can move forward with creating a business plan.
Fashion design courses
If you are brand-new to fashion design and would like to get a basic understanding of fashion design, it’s a good idea to look into fashion design courses.
These courses are designed to be informative and helpful, while also providing a basic understanding of fashion design and all the skills you need to get started.
Some, like Fashion design T Level courses, even offer work placements so you can get a real feel for the industry and what it’s like to work in a design studio.
They are a great place to start if you have no experience in this field, and are a great way to learn the basics, and understand the process of designing a garment, serving as a good launching pad into your chosen career.
These courses are typically offered by colleges and are often free if you meet the eligibility requirements. The best college for fashion design is usually one that oozes creativity. Look at the past successes of fashion design students to give you an idea of what you could get out of it.
